529 tribal members live on reservation, trust, or fee land along with 400 non-tribal members

The Stockbridge-Munsee Tribe employs 740 people and is the largest employer in Shawano County.

Tribal Government

The Stockbridge-Munsee Tribal Council is composed of seven members

A president

Two year term

Vice-president

One year term

Secretary

An appointed position

Treasurer

Two year term

Four council members

The council meets twice monthly

Decisions are made by a majority rule

One year terns.

Elections are held in October every year.

Brief History

The Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians is descended from a group of Mohicans (variously known as Mahikan, Housatonic and River Indians; the ancestral name Muh-he-con-ne-ok means “people of the waters that are never still”) and a band of the Delaware Indians known as the Munsee. The Mohicans and the Delaware, closely related in customs and traditions, originally inhabited large portions of what is now the northeastern United States. In 1734, a small group of Mohicans established a village near Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where they began to assimilate but were nonetheless driven out by Euro-Americans. In 1785 they founded “New Stockbridge” in upper New York State at the invitation of the Oneida Indians. Their new home, however, was on timber land sought after by non-Indian settlers.

In 1818, the band settled briefly in White River, Indiana, only to be again relocated. In order to relocate both the Stockbridge-Munsee and Oneida Indians, government officials, along with missionaries, negotiated the acquisition of a large tract in what is now Wisconsin. In 1834, the Stockbridge Indians settled there; two years later they were joined by some Munsee families who were migrating west from Canada and who decided to remain with the Stockbridge families. Together, they became known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Band. The tribe expanded its land base by obtaining 46,000 acres by treaty with their neighbors to the north, the Menominee Tribe. More pressure from the government resulted in more relocation - first in Kaukana, Wisconsin, and later to a community on the shores of Lake Winnebago that the tribe named Stockbridge.

By the terms of a new treaty with the federal government in 1856, the band moved to its present site in Shawano County. The General Allotment Act of 1887 resulted in the loss of a great deal of land by the Stockbridge-Munsee. In the Great Depression, the tribe lost yet more land. However, in the early 1930’s the Stockbridge-Munsee experienced a reawakening of their identity and began reorganizing. In 1932 they even took over the town council of Red Springs under the provisions of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, created an activist Business Committee and started to regain some of their land. The Secretary of the Interior affirmed the reservation in 1937.

Tribal Services

Law Enforcement

Cross-deputized with the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Funded primarily with federal funds, tribal funds, and contributions from the villages of Bowler and Gresham and funds from the Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance

Funded by Stockbridge-Munsee, with some funds coming from the U.S. Indian Health Service and the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services

Approximately 30% of those served are non-tribal members

Social Services

After school program funding, including youth prevention (Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse programs, HIV/AIDS, suicide prevention, leadership skills building, independent living skills and open room activities) funded through tribal youth grant funds and the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services

Domestic violence counseling/legal advocacy programs

Homeless emergency shelter

AODA counseling

Child care assistance programs

Nutrition programs

Programs funded through tribal, state and federal monies

Non-tribal members may take advantage of tribal social service programs, approximately 50% of those served are, in fact, non-tribal members

Economic Enterprises

Stockbridge-Munsee employs approximately 740 people

Business

Type of Business

Mohican North Star Casino and Bingo

Bowler, WI

Gaming/entertainment facility

Many Trails Banquet Hall

Gresham, WI

Dining/entertainment facility

Pine Hills Golf Course and Supper Club

Gresham, WI

Recreation/dining facility

Little Star Convenience Store

Bowler, WI

Gasoline/light grocery

Mohican RV Park

Bowler, WI

Recreational vehicle compground

For questions about this information, contact David O'Connor (608) 267-2283